Love Times Four My Stepbrothers Are My Mates (Alayah) novel Chapter 46

**When Broken Stars Drift Across Empty Midnight Skies by Troy Mason Venn**

**Chapter 46: Alpha And Luna Ceremony**

**Noah’s p.o.v.**

I was completely blindsided by Mara’s unexpected question, and in that moment of surprise, I blurted out the first response that came to mind. Looking back, I realized it wasn’t the wisest choice. For reasons I couldn’t quite fathom, Mara chose not to press further, but I could feel Eiji’s agitation simmering in my mind, a low growl echoing through our connection as we both absorbed the troubling news from the past few days. The thought of someone potentially targeting Alayah sent a shiver down my spine.

While Mara and Dad engaged in conversation, I found myself distracted, my thoughts drifting to Alayah’s whereabouts. Just as worry began to creep in, her voice cut through the tension, and relief washed over me like a wave. She was safe, nestled comfortably on the Gamma floor with Mara and Dad. However, my fleeting happiness was short-lived; she bid us goodnight almost immediately, and I caught my Brothers’ concerned gazes lingering on me. We exchanged a few more words with Dad before saying our own goodnights, and soon after, Anton, Marc, and Crystal made their way to their respective floors.

A part of me wanted to voice my thoughts, to share my concerns, but before I could, Nero delivered a swift punch that knocked the breath from my lungs. When I finally regained consciousness, the sight of my three furious Brothers greeted me, their expressions a mixture of anger and disappointment. “What just happened?” I managed to ask, but before I could even process their responses, Nero bolted from the room.

“Do you have any idea what you just said to Mara?” Nathan’s voice was low, a growl laced with frustration. I searched my memory for the words I had spoken, but I already knew that my answer to her last question hadn’t been the most reassuring.

“You made it sound as if you doubted your connection to Alayah,” Nathan continued, his tone sharp. “You basically implied that you suspected your bond with her might be a false Mate-bond.” As I reflected on my response, I realized how someone could easily interpret it that way, even though that was far from my intention.

I needed to clarify things with Alayah first thing in the morning, but for now, I had to explain myself to my Brothers. I stepped out of the living room, determined to track down Nero. It didn’t take long to deduce that he had left the Gamma floor, but locating him proved to be a bit more challenging. When I finally found him, I confessed, “I was caught off guard. I’ll speak to Alayah tomorrow and assure her that I never meant to imply I felt a false Mate-bond.”

“I’ll tell her the truth,” I added, hoping my Brothers would understand. “I just hope she’s willing to forgive my stupidity.” With that, we turned to head back inside. A sudden noise from the entertainment room drew our attention, and we discovered a few Omegas engrossed in a movie. We decided to join them, and for a brief moment, we lost ourselves in the action on-screen, momentarily forgetting the weight of the past few days and the blunder I had made during my call with Mara.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, I collapsed onto my bed, slipping into a deep, dreamless slumber. I was grateful I had set my alarm; otherwise, I might have overslept the important meeting. I found myself having to rouse my Brothers from their sleep, a rare occurrence indeed. Nero usually woke before his alarm, Nathan didn’t need one at all, and Nikolay relied on his alarm to avoid sleeping in every single day.

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